Dryer appliances generally include a cabinet with a drum mounted therein. In many dryer appliances, a motor rotates the drum during operation of the dryer appliance, e.g., to tumble articles located within a chamber defined by the drum. Alternatively, dryer appliances with fixed drums have been utilized. Dryer appliances also generally include a heater assembly that passes heated air through the chamber of the drum in order to dry moisture-laden articles disposed within the chamber. This internal air then passes from the chamber through a vent duct to an exhaust conduit, through which the air is exhausted from the dryer appliance. Typically, an air handler or blower is utilized to flow the internal air from the vent duct to the exhaust duct. When operating, the blower may pull air through itself from the vent duct, and this air may then flow from the blower to the exhaust conduit.
Although dryer appliances often include filter systems to prevent foreign materials, such as lint, from passing into the exhaust conduit, it is difficult for such systems to prevent all foreign materials from entering the exhaust. Although lint may be driven from the exhaust while the blower is operating, suspended lint may fall and rest within the exhaust once the blower ceases to operate. If permitted to accumulate within the exhaust conduit, such foreign materials may impair dryer performance. For instance, accumulated lint may restrict the effective operating size of the passages through which air flows during operation. Restrictions can prevent proper airflow, thereby hindering drying of articles in the dryer appliances.
In many existing systems, once foreign materials have accumulated within the exhaust, removal may be difficult and time consuming. Use of the dryer appliance must generally be halted as one more utensil is inserted into the exhaust conduit. Foreign materials often must be laboriously vacuumed or scraped out of the exhaust. Some foreign materials, including those around small or difficult to reach portions of the exhaust may even require a portion of the dryer appliance to be disassembled.
Accordingly, improved dryer appliances and methods for preventing restrictions within the dryer appliances are desired. In particular, dryer appliances and methods that prevent lint accumulation would be advantageous.